Thread: IBCC Toronto - April 2010: who is in?

Same! I get in teatime on the 20th. I can't believe it's only two weeks either!

Cool so many people going! I'll be there too. I can't wait!

Ack! Its next week :-D Yay!

Five sleeps for me! Or possibly four, since I won't get much on the night before I leave (work till midnight, at the airport before five). ZOMG!

same for me! No (or little) sleep Tuesday night :-D

Gilded Serpent has posted an article that serves as a bit of an introduction to my lecture topic: Mass Media, Mass Stereotypes: Beginnings | Belly Dance News & Events - Gilded Serpent

I just booked a vending table space! so Ill be easy to find!

It was so awesome to meet some of you and the conference was just fantastic! I am appalling with names so do remind me if I met you and I don't remember your Bhuz handle... I had a marvellous time despite being seriously jetlagged, and learned a bunch.

Oh, please, more details! I was sad to hear that Reda and Khairiyya could not attend because of the volcano. But from what I've heard so far, it sounds like everyone really chipped in to make it wonderful.

Originally Posted by phillyraqs

Oh, please, more details! I was sad to hear that Reda and Khairiyya could not attend because of the volcano. But from what I've heard so far, it sounds like everyone really chipped in to make it wonderful.

Yes, Cassandra came in last minute and taught Ghawazee, Khaleegy and Saidi, she was awesome!! Jillina added a class and taught Fallahi, and Yasmina taught an Oriental class, so while they were missed, we had some great instructors!! Tons of folklore and Oriental, I'm a folklore junkie, so I was in heaven!! I'll post some pics later tonight!!

It was great to meet Zumarrad, Sarah Skinner, and Elljay in person! I got to spend a bit of time hanging out with Zum, which was good fun! Shems, are you the same Shems that was checking admission to the seminar room?

Also got to say hello to a number of other bhuzzers I've met before, including Aradia and Mariyah. Mariyah, although I enjoyed your solo performance Wednesday night, the one that really captivated me was your performance with Zikrayet on Saturday night. Wow. Just, wow. Beautiful!!!!!

Lilybellydance, although I don't think we had a chance to talk, I enjoyed seeing Sabaya dance. I remember liking the choreography, and I remember everyone dancing together well as a group.

And Mia, I enjoyed the Edmonton Bellydance Ensemble performance. I remember thinking your costumes were wonderful, and I enjoyed the dancing too!

I hope I haven't overlooked any bhuzzers that said hi to me or that I saw perform but didn't mention above. I'm afraid my brain was REALLY mush while I was in Canada, because I had less than a week after getting home from Egypt to catch up on my day job at IBM, prepare my job to be gone several more days, unpack from Egypt, repack for Canada, deal with jet lag and a cold that was trying to overtake me, and put together my lecture for the seminar room. Having only a week to do all that was pretty overwhelming, and by the time I got to Canada I was running on empty. So I apologize if my comments above missed anybody!

Mariyah, although I enjoyed your solo performance Wednesday night, the one that really captivated me was your performance with Zikrayet on Saturday night. Wow. Just, wow. Beautiful!!!!!

Me too! In fact I burst into tears during it for some reason. In a good way!

I was extremely fortunate in having Gilded Serpent's Lynette for a roommate, and in having already met Cassandra, Amel and Hadia before, because the combo meant I got to hang with some of the teachers at the hotel where we were staying - old dance friends and new ones!

I found the standard of dancing overall very high, particularly the group orientale and folkloric work. I did not do as many workshops as I had initially planned - it was all too much for my jetlagged brain, though I think my body could have coped. It was lovely to meet Elljay and Rafiqa and Ranya Renee and many more!

The afterparty was fabulous. That is one damn fine band they have there. And it was so great to see dancers just getting on down to lovely classics! It was fun to dance with Aradia at one point and Jillina and Shira and a whole bunch of people, and of course the performances by Cassandra and Jillina were top notch. Another highlight of the afterparty though was Sema Yildiz having a performance sprung on her. I had loved her at the Gala but there was something very awesome about her doing floorwork in her smart white pants and high heels, to Arabic rather than Turkish music. Sema is really good. I loved the Turkish Rom.

Really enjoyed the conference as well, and was so happy to meet new folks (including the lovely Zumarrad!) and reconnect with folks from previous years. It's a fine event Yasmina puts together!

Originally Posted by ranyarenee

Really enjoyed the conference as well, and was so happy to meet new folks (including the lovely Zumarrad!) and reconnect with folks from previous years. It's a fine event Yasmina puts together!

Ah, I forgot you're a bhuzzer when I was listing people I'd enjoyed seeing!

I just wish you and I could have had time to chat this year. I really enjoyed our conversations in previous years, but this year somehow there was just no time for it!

Hi Shira, it was great to see you again this year and great meeting you Zumarrad. Thank you for your kind words about the performances. :)
I had a wonderful time at the conference again this year!

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Ah, I forgot you're a bhuzzer when I was listing people I'd enjoyed seeing!

I just wish you and I could have had time to chat this year. I really enjoyed our conversations in previous years, but this year somehow there was just no time for it!

i know, time just flew! hey, consider coming to our Theatrical Bellydance Conference this July! We can hang out New York-style. ..g.:

I agree Mariyah and Ranya's performances in the Saturday show were great!! Here are a few pics of us at the after party!

LOL I'd just like to point out that I am exhausted in that pic! Mind you it is pretty hard to look pretty next to Aradia!

Hi Shira, no...due to an unfortunate series of events I never made it to Canada. Life happens, I'm trying to avoid this thread so I don't see all the fun I missed.

Originally Posted by shems

Hi Shira, no...due to an unfortunate series of events I never made it to Canada. Life happens, I'm trying to avoid this thread so I don't see all the fun I missed.

That's why I couldn't find you!! I was looking during the workshops, sorry you weren't able to come, but they are doing it again in 2012

*shields from shems*

The first reports from the IBCC are up at Gilded Serpent! There were originally going to be updates during the event, but Lynette had router troubles.

IBCC 2010 | Belly Dance News & Events - Gilded Serpent

I'm still recovering, what a great week!! So cool to meet you all in person, I really wish we had time to just sit and chat, there was just SO much going on. Some high notes for me were Dr. Sawa's music lecture (I could watch him listen to music for hours, he is amazing); Amel Tafsout's North African workshops - that woman is just like a bundle of light with legs - and Cassandra, who I've heard about but really just fell in love with. She is as tall as me!! And also being a Folk fanatic was just in my own personal heaven. MN, you are very lucky dancers!

The Open stage was really fun to watch and I'm happy to have finally seen Aradia in all her gorgeousness. There were just so many amazing performances, but I also wanted to mention (in addition to all those already mentioned) the Righteous Rogues who were just wonderful! And to boast, just a bit - West Coast represented! Maki was awesome, Tamara, Pamela and the Amar dancers were great, Devorah was hysterical and if I do say so myself, Ala Nar wasn't half bad.

And Sunday night was just like some sort of dream. You all are right, there is NOTHING like live music!! The dabke spiral was really fun.

It was just an incredible humbling and inspiring week, huge thanks to Yasmina and all her volunteers (esp. Mel!) for putting on such a great event. Looking forward to 2012!

Thanks Elljay, it was great to meet you!! Was Devorah the one who went on after me with all the comedy props stuffed in her bra?? It was loaded like a magicians sleeve, LOL!!

I agree Cassandra was wonderful, I had heard great things about her!

LOL, yes! I was amazed at how much stuff she could fit in her bra! She also had a zill in there she forgot to take out. She is a wonderful dancer, but that comedy routine had me on the floor!

Wish i had seen that comedy piece!!! Not to mention Aradia's solo. :-)

Looking forward to Vancouver in November, Elljay!! ;-D